Feeling Burned Out? Why a Strong Work-Life Balance is Critical

Sometimes it can be difficult to separate work from life. Many of us fear leaving our work behind when we go home because we might miss something. Others wonder if they turn their cell phones off if their boss will get angry at them. We’ve all become so dependent on cell phones, computers, and tablets that keeping the rest of our lives separate from work becomes almost impossible.

Even for people who do occasionally turn off their electronic devices, thoughts of work can still seep into outside activities. While it would be great if we could all completely separate our work lives from our home lives, there are too many “what ifs” plaguing most Americans to have that happen. So what’s the solution? While we can’t completely turn off our thoughts (or our cell phones), we can make it a priority to regularly experience life outside of work.

Because we are all so connected now through different mobile and other electronic devices, it can be difficult to separate work from the rest of our lives. This sometimes forces employees to be on all the time, even when they are not at work. The positive of this change in connectivity is that many employees can work anywhere and at any time, which means they may not have to be in the office all week, but this is also changing the definition of the work-life balance. If workers don’t know when to stop or step away, they face the possibility of working almost continually.